Marvel Finalizes Details for 'Avengers 2' Shoot in Seoul

The studio is signing a pact next week with the local government to ensure support for filming in the Korean capital's Gangnam district (yes, as in "Gangnam Style").

SEOUL – Marvel Studios and a South Korean national film body are set to sign a pact next week in Seoul to ensure cooperation on a smooth location shoot for Avengers: Age of Ultron in the South Korean capital later this month.

According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), parts of the film will be shot from March 20 to April 12 near the numerous bridges on the Han River that cuts through the heart of Seoul, including the landmark Jamsil and Mapo Bridges. Korean film fans may remember the latter getting blasted in a terrorist attack in the local box office hit, The Terror: Live, last year.

Another area of Seoul scheduled to feature in the film will likely be more recognizable to global audiences: Gangnam district, made internationally famous by YouTube sensation Psy. The upscale area's Cheongdam Bridge, Teheran Boulevard and Gangnam Station are all listed as shooting locations.

Other shooting locations are Sangam DMC, where major media and entertainment companies are located, and Yongsan, where one of the U.S. military's bases is found.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Korean culture ministry and related film bodies held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss ways to prepare for the shoot, particularly as many scenes will be shot in some of the city's most crowded and traffic-heavy areas.

The police held a second meeting on Thursday to discuss crowd management, as the project is expected to attract swarms of fans, due to the presence of its locally popular stars, including Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans (the latter has become even more widely known here after starring in Bong Joon Ho's Snowpiercer).

"We believe the film will contribute to the growth of local tourism and revamp the national image, so the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency fully supports the filming of Avengers here," said a spokesperson for the police body. "We will do our best to manage the traffic according to the venue and time, so we can minimize possible discomfort for local citizens."

Marvel is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the KOFIC for the purposes of ensuring local support for the filming of the superhero franchise and promoting tourism in Korea. In addition to KOFIC, the Korea Tourism Organization, Seoul Film Commission, Gyeonggi Film Commission and Goyang Industry Promotion Agency will take part in the agreement, which will be signed at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on March 18.

Avengers 2 has already shot in Johannesburg and is conducting principle photography in Shepperton Studios in the U.K.